Walking down the Aisle

Walking down a traditional church aisle, or your entrance at any other venue, such as a park or beach that you choose for your wedding day, is a really important part of the ritual. Personally I love this moment, I am so lucky, I get to do this job and watch so many people walk down the aisle. It is a moment that everyone is waiting for and everyone is excited about. It is the moment that the Groom traditionally gets to see the bride for the first time in her beautiful dress, and the moment that they have waited for.

It is something that only you can decide, but who will walk you down the aisle? Traditionally a Bride would have her father walk her down the aisle, but times are changing and people have lots of different and significant people in their lives. And for some people it doesn’t accurately reflect their family unit, or who they are. Alternatives include: both parents walking them down the aisle, or just their Mum, or one of their siblings. Others choose to walk down on their own. I’m not sure if I would like this myself, as it is great to have someone with you for support, and it is special for the person who accompanies you.  Don’t think that you can’t be creative with this part of your wedding, again it is your day, and you should be your decision.

One dilemma I’ve heard of is, should their father or step-father walk them down the aisle? No one wants to upset one by choosing the other. You can walk down in two parts if you want both of them to do it. There is no hard and fast rule about how this should be done, you should have who you want with you. Although you need  to be mindful of how people will feel, at the end of the day, it is you who is walking down the aisle. Some people choose to walk down the aisle as a couple and this is a great way to do it if your having a small wedding or think that choosing one or two people to walk down with you will cause fights or upset some people. It is a great way to include children, if there are children from a previous relationship, or your children are older, and you want them to be included in your ceremony. This can be a very special way of including them in the ceremony.

Most of all, it is about importance of this moment when the Bride walks down the aisle, whoever she chooses to walk beside her, or if she chooses to walk it alone, or with the man who is about to become her husband.  However, I think that before she does, she should pause and take a moment to think about the day, it is the day she has spent countless hours planning, and maybe dreaming about for much of her life. Take a moment to breathe— Enjoy the moment! The day will fly by.

Thanks again to Corey Brown for the use of his great images. Check out his other work here.

Seating Plans

Do you need a seating plan? Great question, this may seem like quite a daunting task, but it outweighs the alternative – so many things can go wrong if you are having a sit down meal at your reception with no designated seats. Without a well thought out seating plan, couples could be split up and not sitting with anyone they know, people could miss out on being seated with friends (feeling somewhat neglected) and your grandparents or older relatives could end up being seated where they can’t see or hear important parts of the event.

For some couples a seating plan may seem like the least of their worries, however towards the end when the majority of people have been allocated a seat bar a few, it can be difficult to ensure everyone will be happy with their seat. Taking certain personality traits into account is another consideration. Try to avoid allocating tables with all of the people who could not be seated with their preferred peers. This could result in a table that have people from all different age and friendship groups, making it quite apparent that this table was put together out of convenience. Most people (I stress most) will be able to find something that they have in common with whomever they are seated with. The guests all have some sort of connection to the bride or groom – making it easy to strike up any conversation about the couple and their special day.

You and your partner are the best judge of whom the guests will and won’t get along with.  It makes sense that you put guests together that will get along and have things to talk about – this may not necessarily be people who have met in the past. After all when there is a sit down meal, the dynamic of each table can make a huge difference to the enjoyment of the reception.

The majority of the guests are going to the wedding to celebrate their family or friends marriage, but most often people want to socialise with others they know and connect with, not just their partner. I have been to quite a few weddings where I have known about half the people on the table, but not the other – this is a great way to meet people and to get to know other friends or family of the bride and groom.

Great conversation means your guests are more likely to enjoy the reception, especially when a select few are on your table for a three-course meal.

Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue.

It is an old saying, but it is a something that you hear a lot. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Not may people are familiar with the rest of the saying, which goes – “and a sliver sixpence in her shoe”.

There are a lot of varying beliefs as to what these items are meant to represent. Not too mention that there are a huge range of things that you can have for these little traditions, whether they be things that you do or get yourself, or that someone close to the bride would like to give her.   Some people believe that if the bride carries all these things on her wedding day her marriage will be a happy one.

Something old – this symbolises the brides past and the brides family.

Something old could be so many different things, you could opt for jewellery, or something that  one of your parents or grandparents had with them on their wedding day! Check out my blog, accessories with special meanings for other ideas  similar to this.

Something new – represents optimism and hope for the bride’s new life ahead.

This is a great way to have something you want on your special day, it is not a tough one to do , something new could be your wedding dress, some expensive lingerie that you would never normally buy, or anything from your earrings to shoes or flowers that you  carry with you on the day.

Something borrowed – is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride.  The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family.

This could be a way to include someone in your wedding that you would like have do something special but are unable to have the in your bridal party.  If for some reason they cannot be at your wedding, it is also a great way to wear something that you have had your eye on that belongs to your friend, sister or your mum, and be sure to have some great photos of yourself wearing it. Alternatively, this can be a great way to include people that are special to you that have passed away. Check out my blog post about  selecting and honouring people in your wedding to read more about it.

Something blue – apparently the colour blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. Brides wore blue to symbolise love, modesty, fidelity and purity. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular colour  for wedding dresses.

There are a lot of things that can be blue, a lot of people have blue on their garter, but there are so many more things that can be done, you can have yours and your husband to be’s names sewn into the hem or some part of your wedding dress in blue thread. Another option is to have something blue in your jewellery, in your headpiece or you could choose some great blue underwear. Some brides are opting to wear blue shoes now too.

A silver sixpence in the bride’s shoe was to represent wealth and financial security. Personally to me it sounds quite uncomfortable. You might find a relative has an old sixpence, but if you are really desperate to have one, you can buy them off ebay.

Do you have a tradition or something old, new , borrowed or blue that you used or are using in a wedding?

Thank-you to Lauren from Purely Taken. Photography, for the use of her lovely images, check out her website here, or have a look at her latest blog here.

Honeymoon decisions

Who doesn’t want to think about a holiday? Especially a well-earned holiday with the love of your life. A honeymoon can have as many options as the wedding itself.  Will you go away straight after your big day or will you wait a little while until everything has settled down, or until the season is just right for the destination that you have chosen?

There are pros and cons to taking your honeymoon immediately after the ceremony just as much as waiting for the right time.

On one hand, if you go as soon as you are married, you can escape the stress of preparing your perfect day and just relax. This is a great idea if you are going to a romantic island or somewhere that you don’t need to rush and see all the sights, perhaps somewhere that you have been before. Alternatively making a decision to spend your honeymoon on a cruise or in luxury accommodation can be just as beneficial.

On the other hand if you are planning to honeymoon somewhere that has many exciting sights to see and tours to offer – keeping you both busy for the most part –  this might be something that you would rather take time to plan after you have overcome all the stress of the wedding. In some cases you may have gone a little (or a lot) over budget on the wedding and want to wait a while so that you can accumulate the right amount of funds for your special trip. There are a few things you should keep in mind if you are going to wait and plan your perfect honeymoon. If you are changing your name you will need to ensure you book tickets in your new name and change your passport before you go, or make sure that you book in your maiden name if you won’t have time to get a new passport. Check out my blog here for tips on changing your name.

If planning your honeymoon is becoming too tiresome, maybe a destination wedding is best suited to you – however, that is an entirely new subject!

What do you think you will do, or how did you decide what the perfect time was to take your honeymoon?  Did you go straight after the ceremony or did you wait?

Thanks to Michael Thomas for the use of his amazing images, check out his other work  here.

Fingerprint Tree

The fingerprint tree is a funky new trend for ceremonies and can act  as a great alternative to the traditional guest book. You may choose to purchase your fingerprint tree online, or if you have a creative flare, making a tree from scratch may be your preference. The tree is made up entirely of fingerprints, acting as leaves, to create a unified message from your guests. Depending on personal preference you may decide that the tree will look best with the guests names beside each fingerprint.  After the ceremony, you may choose to frame the tree as a beautiful momento of your special day. Your fingerprint tree could be compiled of many colours or you may decide to be more selective, dependent of the theme of the wedding and personal taste.
Keeping in theme with the fingerprint tree, decorating your ceremony or reception with similar subject matter is a great way to create a
cohesive look. Alternatively, including fingerprints on the wedding or engagement invitations is another beautiful way of creating a unified
theme.

The fingerprint tree is also a fantastic option for a baby-naming day – a keepsake to hang in your child’s room.

A tree may also provide a sense of comfort to a family after a funeral – a reminder of the guests that loved and cared for the deceased.

Have you taken part in the creation of a fingerprint tree, if so what did you think of the idea?

Thanks to Kirralee again for the use of her great fingerprint tree images. Check out her blog here.